The US president’s approval rating has hit a new low of 38%, according to a Gallup poll
US President Joe Biden meets with CEOs about the economy in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC. © AFP / MANDEL NGAN
Joe Biden’s approval rating has hit a new low, making him the least popular modern US president at this period in a term of office, a new poll released on Friday shows.
According to a Gallup survey, Biden’s approval rating dropped below the 40% mark for the first time, at 38%. This is down three points from the previous month and 12 points from July 2021, when 50% of Americans generally approved of the president’s job.
Meanwhile, 59% of Americans disapprove of the job Biden is doing, with 45% of those surveyed ‘strongly disapproving’ of his performance, compared with only 13% who ‘strongly approve’.
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The poll also measured Biden’s average approval rating against previous presidents, going back as far as Dwight Eisenhower, in the sixth quarter of their terms. The data shows that Biden scores the lowest, at 40%. His nearest rivals in this regard are Presidents Trump and Carter, both with 42% at this time in their presidencies.
Biden did manage to maintain a 78% approval rating among members of his own party. However, his polling numbers have shrunk among independents, hitting an all-time low of 31%. The Democratic president’s approval among Republicans, not surprisingly, stands at 5%.
Public support for Biden has been on the decline for some time now, taking hits from the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, skyrocketing gas prices, record inflation, and the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to this, GDP data released on Thursday indicates that the economy has entered a recession.
The new poll comes after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday that Joe Biden intends to run for re-election in 2024. However, according to a CNN survey published on Tuesday, 75% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning voters want someone else to represent the party in 2024.
The Gallup poll was conducted between July 5 and 26, with 1,013 adults interviewed by phone.
